Sunday, August 4, 2013
Jesus Knows His Sheep
[Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews],
"The miracles I do in my Father's name speak
for me, but you do not believe because you
are not my sheep.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them
and they follow me. I give them eternal
life and they shall never perish ..."
John 10:25b-28a
******************
In this passage, Jesus refers to His people as "my sheep."
His sheep hear His voice, and He knows them (has a close, intimate,
personal relationship with them), they follow Him, and He gives them
eternal life.
Jesus is the "good shepherd," and His sheep know Him (have a close,
intimate, personal relationship with Him), and He is willing to lay down
His life to save them.
*******************
Two kinds of people are in view here:
1. Those who are His sheep, His people, who know Him,
believe in Him, and follow Him.
2. Those who are not His sheep. They don't know Him,
believe in Him, or follow Him.
**********
Isn't it traditional for us to believe that we must trust in Jesus before we
can become one of His sheep? Yes, that is what most believe.
Notice that Jesus doesn't say that.
Read these words of Jesus very carefully:
" ... you do not believe because you are not my sheep."
He did NOT say "you are not my sheep because you don't believe," but
"YOU DO NOT BELIEVE BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT MY SHEEP."
In other words, one must be part of Jesus' flock, one of His sheep, before
he can believe in Him. How can a person be one of His sheep before He
believes in Jesus?
This is where God's sovereignty in salvation comes in to play.
******************
[Jesus said],
"Everyone that the Father gives me will come to me,
and the one who comes to me I will never cast out.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my
will but the will of Him who sent me:
That I should lose none of those He has given Me
but should raise them up on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who
sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal
life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
John 6:37-40
John MacArthur writes:
"[These] verse(s) emphasize the sovereign will of God in the selection
of those who come to Him for salvation (John 6:44, 65; 17:6, 12, 24). The Father
has predestined those who would be saved (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-6;
1 Peter 1:2).
The absolute sovereignty of God is the basis of Jesus' confidence in the
success of His mission. The security of salvation rests in the sovereignty of God,
for God is the guarantee that everyone He has chosen will come to Him for salvation.
The idea of 'gives me' is that every person chosen by God and drawn by
God (John 6:44) must be seen as a gift of the Father's love to the Son. The Son receives
each 'love gift', holds on to each, and will raise each to eternal glory.
No one chosen will be lost. This saving purpose is the Father's will,
which the Son will not fail to do perfectly (John 4:34; 6:38; 10:28-29; 17:6, 12, 24)."
********************
Those given by the Father to Jesus are His sheep (His people).
Jesus accepts only those given to Him by the Father. All others are left in their sin.
One group receives God's mercy, while the other His justice. Neither receives
injustice.
Jesus knows who are His sheep and who are not His sheep. Many who claim
to be His, will never see the kingdom of heaven, because they don't know Him
and don't do His will.
"Repent then and turn to God ..."
Acts 3:19a
They don't treat people the way God wants them to be treated (Matthew 25:42-43),
while God's people treat others the right way (Matthew 25:35-36).
[Jesus said],
"Not everyone who says to me,
'Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom
of heaven, but only he who does the
will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say on that day,
'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
in your name, and in your name
drive out demons and perform
many miracles?'
Then I will tell them plainly,
'I never knew you. Away from me,
you evildoers!' "
Matthew 7:21-23
His sheep receive eternal life, while the others eternal punishment.
[Jesus said],
"When the Son of Man comes in His glory,
and all the angels with Him, He will sit on
His throne in heavenly glory.
All the nations will be gathered before Him,
and He will separate the people one from
another, as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats. He will put the sheep on
His right and the goats on His left.
Then the King will say to those on His right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
take your inheritance, the kingdom pre-
pared for you since the creation of the
world (Ephesians 1:3-14).
... Then He will say to those on His left,
'Depart from me, you who are cursed
into the eternal fire prepared for the
devil and his angels (Revelation 20:14-15).
... Then they will go away to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."
Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46
*************************
[Jesus said],
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep
and my sheep know me -- just as the Father
knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay
down my life for the sheep.
... there shall be one flock and one shepherd."
John 10:14-16b
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